Packing Materials Questions

[Richard Baker]

Knowing that y'all ship your woodturnings to the great galleries of the world, you surely know how to do it correctly. Need to ship a bowl and other turnings to some friends, probably via UPS. Tentative plan is to use medium strength cardboard boxes with approx. 2" sponge/foam rubber padding inside to absorb dents in boxes. My first question is what to use for the first protective layer of wrap around the individual pieces of woodturning? Some items have lacquer finish and others have many coats of tung oil. Have read recently NOT to store lacquer-finished items in plastic. Maybe the foam rubber is not a good idea? Need help, please.

 

[Griesbach]

Richard,
There is a pretty good article on packing and shipping in the last AAW magazine. I don't recall if it specifically addressed the issue of lacquer finished pieces.

 

[hockenbery]

Check the article in AAW journal for lots of tips.

I use tissue paper as the first wrap. Then bubble wrap.

Double boxing is the best protection. The idea is that the outside box absorbs the bruises and the inside box remains healthy. I use styroam to hold the indside box in the center of the outside box.


happy turning,
Al

 

[TurningDog]

I like tissue paper, but only plain white. I have had bleed through from some of the cheap colored tissue. Expensive colored may be a different story but since the dollor store carries plain white it is good enough for me. Past the tissue paper stage it usually depends on what I have on hand. For really fragile stuff there is usually a layer of bubble wrap. Sturdier items they go in the box with styrofoam peanuts. Order yourself two or three times a month on ebay and you will never run out of abundant packing materials, no matter how many things you ship out.

 

[john lucas]

If it's a bowl or fairly solid hollow vessel I like to wrap it in tissue paper and then put peanuts inside with a box around. I keep at least 2" all the way around. Then I put that in a second box and put peanuts around.
For fragile things that have wings or arms sticking out I make custom supports out of styrofoam so the whole piece is supported. Then this is wrapped in thin bubble wrap and put in a box with more peanuts and double boxed.
The best way to ship this stuff, we can't afford. I have a local company here in town that ships world wide. They will use a product that resembles great Stuff foam insulation but is much softer(you can poke your finger in it). You wrap your piece carefully in plastic (I put tissue around it first). Don't leave any concave areas. They put a layer of plastic down spray in the foam, put another layer of plastic down. Then they put your piece in, lay plastic over that, spray in some more liquid foam and put plastic over that. Then close the lid and wait about a minute. It fills in all the spaces. This is really tough.
I hauled a really fragile piece to Rhode Island on the plane. I watched the baggage handler literally throw the box over his head onto the ramp. I knew it was brocken. It arrived perfectly safe. This piece had 77 3/4" miniature goblets on the top so if it didn't break any of those it must be a good method. My understanding is this system is $11,000 dollars so you and I probably won't buy one.

 

[Brodie Brickey]

The best way to ship this stuff, we can't afford. I have a local company here in town that ships world wide. They will use a product that resembles great Stuff foam insulation but is much softer(you can poke your finger in it). You wrap your piece carefully in plastic (I put tissue around it first). Don't leave any concave areas. They put a layer of plastic down spray in the foam, put another layer of plastic down. Then they put your piece in, lay plastic over that, spray in some more liquid foam and put plastic over that. Then close the lid and wait about a minute. It fills in all the spaces. This is really tough.
I hauled a really fragile piece to Rhode Island on the plane. I watched the baggage handler literally throw the box over his head onto the ramp. I knew it was brocken. It arrived perfectly safe. This piece had 77 3/4" miniature goblets on the top so if it didn't break any of those it must be a good method. My understanding is this system is $11,000 dollars so you and I probably won't buy one.

You could try wrapping the item in plastic, then place the piece in the box, put a center divider to split the box in half and fill with that DAP spray foam. The foam fills up the voids, the center divider makes it easier for the recipient to separate the piece. The foam does adhere to everything, so you'll probably have to cut the box off the piece.

Brodie

 

[pyrocasto]

Depends on how fragile it is I guess. If I'm thinking egg like fragile you wrap the bowl in tissue paper, then put the piece in the middle of a panty hose leg and tie each end to opposing corners of the box. Hey at least it worked for my egg.

Simple tissue papper and peanuts will do fine for most items.

 

[hockenbery]

For delicate hollow forms and my suspended Spherical forms I use SONA tubes as and inside protector. These are the round Cardboad tubes used as concrete forms and for shipping fabric.

I cut them a bit longer that the piece and cut a styrofoam insert to go in each end of the tube. I wrap the piece in bubble wrap so that it slide inside.

I include packing/unpacking instructions that tell the perseon to lay the tube on its side and slide the pice out.

I have this fear if the recieved shaking the tube to get the item
out and having it crash onto the floor.

Happy Turning,
Al

 

[Richard Baker]

Thank You

Thanks to all for your replies! I did find the article in AAW journal, and now must re-read all my magazines to see what else I have forgotten. Have been using the foam peanuts as extra insulation above the ceiling of my shop, so will climb back up there and retrieve a box full. Thanks again.